Under the 2015 Scheme, normal pension age (NPA) is 60 and is the age at which benefits will come into payment in full without actuarial adjustment.
If you leave the police force or opt out of the Scheme after the normal minimum pension age (NMPA) of 55 and before NPA with at least two years’ qualifying service and you do not claim payment of your pension, you will become entitled to a deferred pension payable in full when you reach your State Pension age (SPA).
You may claim immediate payment of your deferred pension, subject to actuarial reduction, from your SPA. See our page on deferred pension for more information about the early payment of deferred pension other than on ill-health grounds.
A deferred pension may be paid early without actuarial reduction if you are permanently medically unfit for any regular employment. However, you cannot retire with a pension under the 2015 scheme before you reach NMPA other than on the grounds of ill-health.
For more information see Compulsory ill-health retirement and early payment of deferred pension of ill-health grounds.
Alternatively, if you decide to delay your retirement after reaching NPA, you will continue to accrue pension and your pension will be increased on an actuarially neutral basis to take into account its commencement after NPA.
If you have not reached NPA and you become permanently medically unfit for the performance of the ordinary duties of a member of the police force while an active member of the scheme, your Police Pension Authority (Chief Constable) may require you to retire on the grounds of ill-health.
For more information see Compulsory ill-health retirement and early payment of deferred pension of ill-health grounds.